Buy now or wait...

[iMi]

This is not a typical "buy now or wait" question. Bare with me.

The issue at hand is that Apple is moving to ARM and this may be the last Intel based iMac. I have switched to a 16"MBP recently and using it with a 27" UltraSharp. It's great, but I miss the iMac for a number of reasons. With the iPad Pro getting closer and closer to a true laptop replacement, I am thinking about selling the MBP and getting the iMac, plus using the larger iPad Pro for travel. The 16" is great in size, but heavy for travel. It's not a deal kill. Just not the most compact. I do like the larger screen and macOS on the road.

The key concern I have is the aging design. I am 99% sure the ARM iMac will be redesigned. When it will come, no one knows. At the same time, is there an advantage to staying with Intel based iMac? It's a beast, so no concerns about performance.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[CheesePuff]

The advantage is if you need an iMac now, its the best model thats been released. Other advantages are the ability to boot to Windows if needed which may result in keeping a high resale value in the future, and running any Intel/x86 software natively if you rely on something that won't be ported.

 

[iMi]

The advantage is if you need an iMac now, its the best model thats been released. Other advantages are the ability to boot to Windows if needed which may result in keeping a high resale value in the future, and running any Intel/x86 software natively if you rely on something that won't be ported.

All excellent points.

 

[James_C]

How long do you intend to keep the iMac for ? If its 5 years or less then I would go for the 2020 iMac. With the new graphics options, SSD, and latest intel processors, T2 chip, upgraded camera it is a significant upgrade from last years iMac. If you tend to keep your Macs for more than 5 years then you may want to wait for Apple Silicon. While no one but Apple knows how long Apple will keep releasing new versions of Mac OS for Intel Chips, 5 years is probably a good estimate (2 years transition + 3 years). Of course you should be ok for security updates for a while longer...

 

[Starfia]

I wouldn't be on the fence in that situation. I expect the first Apple Silicon Macs to dazzle, and if I could get by relatively happily for another year or two on my current equipment, I would wait.

 

[torifile]

Hate to say it, but this is the exactly typical "buy now or wait" post we see these days. 🤷🏽‍♂️

 

[Starfia]

I thought it was typical too. ^ ^

But a "buy now or wait" post is always special… when it's ✨your own. ✨

 

[iMi]

Very funny...You people think this (first-world) crisis is typical 😂

I guess there is truth in that and I’m not trying to be a hypocrite... I guess I worry about the ARM transition. I was around when Apple moved to Intel but don’t remember how that went. Plus, back then there were so many fewer apps. If I were to take my own advice, which I have dispensed here a million times, then “if you need it now, get it now” applies.

 

[James_C]

I was around when Apple moved to Intel but don’t remember how that went.

I went through that transition. Apple said it was going to be a two year transition to Intel, but actually went much quicker than that (from memory it was just over a year). The key difference was that the G5 was already significantly behind the Intel Chips, and Apple was really falling behind with PC performance comparisons. This time the Intel Chips are still pretty powerful. For that reason the Intel chips offered a great reason to upgrade and the G5 fell away pretty quickly.

Now the emphasis is on performance per watt. While Apple Silicon is very efficient it is not clear yet how quickly they will outperform the desktop CPU's. This time round I suspect the focus will be transitioning the Laptops and consumer desktops to Apple Silicon rather than the Mac Pro's first.

The last transition was pretty smooth, although I remember two of the main vendors Microsoft and Adobe where slow to release intel versions of their software. It looks like this time both are on board with making that transition smoother. However I am sure that there will be some vendors that are slow to make the transition. However I suspect that the hardware is more capable these days of running intel apps under rosetta 2.

 

[iMi]

I went through that transition. Apple said it was going to be a two year transition to Intel, but actually went much quicker than that (from memory it was just over a year). The key difference was that the G5 was already significantly behind the Intel Chips, and Apple was really falling behind with PC performance comparisons. This time the Intel Chips are still pretty powerful. For that reason the Intel chips offered a great reason to upgrade and the G5 fell away pretty quickly.

Now the emphasis is on performance per watt. While Apple Silicon is very efficient it is not clear yet how quickly they will outperform the desktop CPU's. This time round I suspect the focus will be transitioning the Laptops and consumer desktops to Apple Silicon rather than the Mac Pro's first.

The last transition was pretty smooth, although I remember two of the main vendors Microsoft and Adobe where slow to release intel versions of their software. It looks like this time both are on board with making that transition smoother. However I am sure that there will be some vendors that are slow to make the transition. However I suspect that the hardware is more capable these days of running intel apps under rosetta 2.

I also think efficiency is the biggest gain, which obviously matters more in a portable device. I agree with you and it makes sense why Apple updated the 27” iMac and not its smaller sibling. It now also makes sense why macOS Big Sur adopted icons similar to iOS. All kind of falls into place.

 

[profcutter]

Since school started, I’ve been using a 12.9 IPad Pro that I got with the Apple Pencil and magic keyboard. I have a 2017 iMac the University bought for me with an external display, that’s my teaching machine. The iPad handles about 85-90 percent of my computing duties when I’m not actively teaching, and my 2015 MBP comes out much less than it used to, sometimes I don’t open it for 3 days at a time, and it’s just because it has a 2TB drive and lots of important data. Anything that requires more heavy lifting gets done on the iMac. If I wasn’t going to have to go back to commuting when this whole nightmare is over, I’d say an iMac and an IPP was a great combo.

 

[Benz63amg]

I’d wait bro, the wait is going to be worth it once we see that redesigned iMac or MacBook Pro with superior display, ARM CPU and a handful of other improvements, Also, a Mac that doesn’t heat up like the Intel Macs do and superior graphics performance, not to mention the fact that an ARM Mac will be future proof for years to come, Can’t say the same about the Intel Mac.

I was dead set on buying the 2020 27 inch iMac last week after selling my 2019 27 inch iMac but I’m going to be without a computer until the ARM iMac is released even though it means I’m without a computer now, I refuse to dump over 2k on a decade old design, it sure is an EXCELLENT computer but it is dated and all reports say the Intel CPU’s produce a lot of heat which in return throttle performance with fans kicking in and what not. (Mostly on i9 and not on i7)

 

[ADGrant]

I’d wait bro, the wait is going to be worth it once we see that redesigned iMac or MacBook Pro with superior display, ARM CPU and a handful of other improvements, Also, a Mac that doesn’t heat up like the Intel Macs do and superior graphics performance, not to mention the fact that an ARM Mac will be future proof for years to come, Can’t say the same about the Intel Mac.

I was dead set on buying the 2020 27 inch iMac last week after selling my 2019 27 inch iMac but I’m going to be without a computer until the ARM iMac is released even though it means I’m without a computer now, I refuse to dump over 2k on a decade old design, it sure is an EXCELLENT computer but it is dated and all reports say the Intel CPU’s produce a lot of heat which in return throttle performance with fans kicking in and what not. (Mostly on i9 and not on i7)

If you can be without a computer until the ARM iMac is released, do you really need a computer at all?

 

[HDFan]

The less stressful way to think about it is to look at the software that you use. If it will be supported on the new ARM devices then I'd wait to see what they announce before the end of the year. If it is not supported then simply go with Intel. For the first year or 2 there is going to be more compatible software on Intel. You should be good for something like 5 years at which time ARM software will have become the norm.

 

[iMi]

In my case, it’s really just a business expense. I don’t mean to sound arrogant or elitist in any way but the cost of the iMac I ordered is insignificant compared to the revenue it will help me generate. Of course, for many it will be a big investment. I totally get that. It isn’t to say that the three thousand or so I’ll spend on it is insignificant or pocket change. It’s not. It’s a lot of money. It’s just that I get to write it off and it helps me get the job done. Isn’t that all that matters?